Kidnapped
by krose240
Summary: It's become a tradition of Bowser's to continuously kidnap Princess Peach in an effort to spite Mario. But, is that the only reason he keeps stealing her away?
1. Chapter 1

"Bowser, really," Peach said, sitting with her arms crossed over her chest at the small table in the simple dining room of the flying ship, "this is starting to get suspicious."

The King of the Koopas sighed a bit, going to join Peach at the table. "You know what else is getting suspicious? The fact that you _still_ haven't told Mario how you feel. It's getting incredibly annoying constantly having to steal you back."

Peach frowned. "You know as well as I do that he'll go on a rampage if I tell him," she said, "and it'll be worse than it is when he comes to 'rescue' me."

Bowser huffed, a bit of smoke escaping his nostrils. "Can nothing stop that stupid plumber?"

Peach laughed. "Apparently not," she said, "…and I don't think he's a plumber…"

"You don't _think_?" Bowser asked, clearly amused, "You've been dating this guy for ages and you don't know what he does for a living?"

Peach shook her head. "Not a clue," she replied, reaching a hand out to Bowser. The Koopa gave her a slight smile, taking her hand in his.

"We'll be arriving at the castle soon," Bowser said, "I'd expect we have a good week until Mario arrives…do you agree?"

Peach nodded. "Yeah, hopefully longer," she said, "…so what's the plan this time?"

"Same as always," Bowser said, "I pretend to be a greedy bastard who just wants to keep you for myself and you pretend you want to be rescued."

Peach laughed a bit and shrugged. "Alright," she said.

Bowser brought his free hand to Peach's cheek and smiled, stroking her cheek adoringly, careful not to scratch her with his claws. He felt the princess's cheeks heat up at his touch and gently squeezed her hand. "It's a good thing this ship has autopilot," he said with a growl, standing suddenly and pulling Peach to her feet, his intentions clear in his eyes.

Peach blushed a deep red, smiling as Bowser wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing his body to hers. "Yes," she breathed, "it is."

Bowser laughed, thrusting his free hand into Peach's hair and leaning down, kissing her passionately, careful as ever not to puncture her skin with his sharp teeth. They stayed like this for a moment before Bowser pulled back and smirked, slowly running his sharp claws down the back of Peach's dress, ripping it open.

Peach frowned a bit at the sound of tearing fabric, but didn't protest. There were extra dresses in the castle and she figured it best not to anger the Koopa by complaining. Instead, once the dress had been torn, she helped Bowser to strip it from her body. The dress became a pool of pink at her feet.

Bowser's eyes darted over Peach's body hungrily, taking in the sight of the princess in nothing but her undergarments. "Oh Peach," he said in a low growl, suddenly taking her by the waist and pinning her on top of the table.

Peach kept her eyes on Bowser's, absolutely thrilled. "Starting off our week early, are we?" she said with a laugh.

Bowser laughed, peeling off Peach's bra and panties and moving atop her on the table. "Did you expect anything less, _Princess_?" he growled, smirking. He didn't give her a chance to respond, instead leaning down and taking her lips in his as he entered her and began to move. Oh, yes, this was what he liked. Nothing was better than spiting that blasted plumber by fucking the princess. The best part was that Peach wanted it, she'd always wanted it. It truly was a shame that Mario always stole her back. If there was some way to get rid of him, Bowser would give anything to know.

* * *

Bowser stood at the wheel, carefully directing the ship to land. Peach stood at his side, watching intently, her arms crossed over her chest, a simple pink robe wrapped around her slender frame. She was sure she was a sight, sex hair and all. In a way she envied Bowser. Hell, he didn't look shaken in the slightest from their erotic activities in the dining room of the ship.

Once he'd brought the ship down, Bowser turned to smile at Peach. "Welcome back," he said, reaching for her hand to lead her off the ship. He caught her blush and smile and quickly made his way inside the castle with her in tow. "I quite like your 'just fucked' look," Bowser said, dropping the princess's hand and instead wrapping his arm around her waist.

Peach gently laid her head against Bowser's shoulder and smiled. "Good," she said, "I'm glad someone likes it."

Bowser laughed. "Of course I like it," he said, "it means I did a good job." He glanced down at the robe wrapped around Peach and added, "Why don't we head to my room? You can pick out a new dress and then we can head to dinner."

Peach smiled. "I'd like that," she replied.


	2. Chapter 2

Bowser led Peach down the hall and stopped as they reached the door to his bedroom. He held it open for her and started to follow her inside when she brought a hand to his shoulder and stopped him.

"Nuh-uh," Peach said, "you wait outside."

Bowser gave her a pout and asked, "Why?"

Peach simply rolled her eyes and said, "We haven't had dinner yet. I can't tempt you with dessert."

Before he could respond, Peach and closed the door and locked it from the inside. Hearing Bowser's faint growl of annoyance, she made her way to the closet and searched through the selection of dresses. Her hand gravitated towards the pink dresses hidden away in the corner, but she decided against wearing one of them. Bowser had always hated pink and the only reason those dresses were there were for when Mario came to "rescue" her. Sighing, Peach turned to search through the dresses of the next best color: red.

A few minutes later, the princess turned the lock of the bedroom door and emerged, clad in a sleeveless red dress that hugged her curves nicely and stopped just above her knees. She quietly closed the door behind herself, giggling a bit at the sight of Bowser staring at her.

"Like what you see?" Peach teased, striking a cute little pose for him. The Koopa laughed somewhat shyly and nodded. It was amusing to Peach that she could reduce the big, bad Bowser to this. Giggling she reached for his hand and started down the hall, leading the way to the dining room. It took only a few steps for Bowser to regain his composure, however, and he quickly took the lead from Peach. He'd show her who was in charge later tonight he decided.

As they arrived at the dining room, Bowser reached out and held the door open for Peach, watching her slip inside before following suit. He went and pulled out the chair to the right of his own at the head of the table and motioned for Peach to sit. She sat and he pushed her in before taking his own seat, grinning.

"You look stunning," Bowser said, smirking, "I see now why you had me wait outside while you got dressed."

Peach laughed and brushed her golden hair from her face. Just then, a door on the other side of the room opened and a koopa slipped inside. Peach guessed by the looks of him that he was just a castle servant. The koopa made his way to Bowser's side and bowed respectfully, confirming Peach's assumption. Bowser spoke in a hushed voice with the servant and Peach strained to hear anything, failing miserably. Once Bowser had finished speaking, the koopa fled the room, clearly afraid of failing his master.

"What did you tell him?" Peach asked after a moment.

Bowser didn't answer for a short moment. Finally he said, his voice low, "I…I sent him to get our dinner while I think things over. He just gave me some bad news."

Peach raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?" She had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with Mario.

Bowser let out a sigh, clearly fighting a losing battle with his anger. "The stupid plumber's on his way…Junior expects him here in three days or less."

Peach frowned and reached for Bowser's hand, taking it in her own and stroking it with her thumb. The koopa let out a low growl and gently squeezed Peach's hand.

"So what do you need to think over?" Peach asked.

"How to slow him down, if not stop him," Bowser said. He didn't want to say it aloud, but he didn't want to have to give up Peach again.

Peach sighed a bit. "Maybe you could send him on a detour and set up a trap," she said.

"Maybe," Bowser said, sighing a bit, "…look, Peach, I don't want you to be involved in this. If he ends up dead, I don't want you to have had a hand in it."

Peach nodded. "I don't want a hand in it," she said softly.

Bowser nodded, lifting Peach's hand to his lips and gently kissing it. "I'll stall him somehow," he said, "...let's just enjoy our time together, alright?"

Peach smiled a bit and nodded just as the door on the other side of the room opened. The same koopa from before slipped inside and silently placed a meal before both Bowser and Peach. He went to go but Bowser motioned him over. In the same hushed voice as before, Bowser gave the koopa his orders before returning his attention to Peach, not even noticing how the koopa practically sprinted from the room.

"Bon appétit," Peach said, deciding not to ask what Bowser had told the koopa this time. She knew it had something to do with Mario and she had a feeling it wasn't anything she would want to know.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**__ Fair warning, major smut in this chapter so read at your own risk. Also, thanks so much for your reviews; it's great to get feedback from my readers!_

* * *

Bowser smirked a bit, finishing off the very last bite of his meal. "I cleaned my plate," he said, "…I think it's time for dessert."

Peach laughed. "I believe you're right," she said, placing her napkin on the table beside her plate and standing in unison with Bowser. The koopa reached for Peach's hand and she let him take it and lead her from the room.

They made their way down the halls silently, save for the sound of their footsteps. As they reached Bowser's bedroom, Bowser opened the door and quickly ushered Peach inside. He closed the door behind himself, his eyes locked on Peach.

Bowser slipped past Peach and went to sit on the edge of the bed, smirking towards the princess. "Strip for me," he growled. Peach, rather startled, simply obeyed, reaching around to unzip the back of her little red dress. A slight growl escaped Bowser's lips as he watched, more than aroused.

Peach paused once she'd finally unzipped the dress all the way, letting the suspense build a bit before dropping the garment to the floor. She now stood before Bowser in nothing but her bra and panties, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"The bra and panties too," Bowser growled, his hands fisting into the sheets as he watched.

Peach obeyed, blushing a deep red as her bra dropped to the floor and her panties soon followed suit. She stood there before him, completely and utterly nude, fidgeting slightly as if she was nervous.

Bowser sat and admired the beauty before him before holding out a hand and beckoning Peach closer. "Come here, Princess," he purred, anxious to feel her skin on his. The princess didn't have to be told twice and went to sit upon Bowser's lap, straddling him. In seconds the koopa's arms were around her waist, holding her in place as he pressed himself against her, his erection planted firmly against her abdomen.

Peach slipped her arms around Bowser's neck and leaned in to kiss him. Before their lips met, Bowser brought up a hand and grabbed Peach by the shoulder, stopping her. A look of confusion flashed across the blonde's face, but Bowser paid it no attention. As soon as he was sure that the princess had gotten the message, he relinquished his grip on her shoulder and allowed his hand to wander down to her breasts. He took one in his hand and gave it a playful squeeze, smirking as Peach moaned softly in response.

"Good girl," Bowser growled in her ear, absently playing with Peach's breast while his other hand slid its way beneath her and cupped her sex. The princess let out a soft gasp as Bowser slowly slid one clawed finger up into her.

"Bowser," Peach breathed, closing her eyes.

"Shh," Bowser replied, "relax…I just want to have a bit of fun." He moved his finger a bit within her, smirking as her moans of pleasure grew louder.

"Oh, Bowser…" Peach breathed, pleasure building deep within her. Just as she was about to go over the edge, Bowser removed his finger, smirking devilishly.

"Not yet, darling," he said, lifting her from his lap and laying her down on the bed. He moved atop her with the speed and agility that one of his size and stature shouldn't possess. He leaned down and kissed her, hearing the small whimper that escaped Peach's lips. It was fun being in charge.

"Please," Peach whispered against the koopa's lips, so eager, so ready.

With nothing but a slight growl, Bowser gave in and took pity on the beauty below him, spreading her legs with his knee and slowly sliding himself into her. A groan escaped his lips as he forced his way into her. He'd always loved how tight she was.

Bowser paused once he was all the way in and gave Peach a short moment to adjust. The princess gave him a slight nod of approval before he began to move. He was neither slow nor gentle. Simply put, he was a rough and thorough lover, fueled by the moans of pleasure of his partner. In no time at all he had reduced the princess to a quivering wreck whose body continued to be wracked by orgasm after orgasm until, finally, he joined her in sweet release. He collapsed atop her, exhausted from his efforts, and the odd couple promptly fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

The koopa servant, out of breath from running, bent over his knees, his breathing labored.

"I don't have all day," Bowser Jr. growled.

The koopa nodded. "Sorry," he managed in a breathy voice.

Junior rolled his eyes. "Speak," he growled, "come on, what is it? Spit. It. Out!"

"B-bowser has orders for you to lead…to lead Mario to the cloud world," the koopa managed.

"Go on?" Junior prompted, clearly annoyed.

"He said to have Kamek and Ludwig fight him," the koopa continued, "and that if he makes it past them, it's your job to stop him."

Junior rolled his eyes. "Anything else?"

The koopa nodded.

"What?" Junior asked, hating having to constantly prompt this imbecile.

"Umm…" the koopa said, pausing a bit before slowly, cautiously, relaying the plan for the off chance that Mario survived to 'rescue' the princess.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: **__Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Not to worry though, as I'm finally on spring break. I hope to get out two or three new updates this week, starting with this one. I hope you all can follow this one, it jumps around a lot. Enjoy!_

* * *

Peach's eyes fluttered open to find little rays of sunlight trickling in through the small window of Bowser's bedroom. The sight made her miss her castle. In her room back home there was one magnificent window that covered a whole wall. She loved waking up to see the sunlight streaming into her room, but Bowser hated the sunlight. Not long ago there hadn't even been a window in Bowser's bedroom, however, thanks to Peach's pleading, he'd had that small one installed. It was the best she could get from him and she knew it best to take it and be happy, but it still saddened her to know that if she remained with Bowser she'd never see that same sunrise she'd gotten so used to waking up to.

A soft sigh escaped Peach's lips as she slipped out of Bowser's bed, careful not to wake him. She made her way to the window in the corner and perched upon the bench before it. She had to admit that she was in fact very grateful for that window. It made her so happy to be able to look out and see the beginnings of a new day, a day she could spend with Bowser.

* * *

_***Somewhere in the clouds***_

Mario and Luigi were on their way, desperate to get to Bowser's castle before sundown. Mario could only imagine what his darling Peach had to be going through, being trapped in that accursed castle with his mortal enemy.

They had already managed to defeat Kamek and were on their way to Ludwig's fortress. An easy victory awaited them, however they had no idea what they would encounter afterwards. Junior was already waiting in his ship, eager to please his father.

* * *

_***Aboard Bowser Jr.'s Ship***_

Junior and the koopa servant stood in Junior's quarters. They had boarded in the wee hours of the morning and Junior had ordered the servant to lay out the back-up plan in writing so it could easily be relayed to the other koopas the instant that he was defeated…if it came to that.

Knowing that he had to be prepared for anything, Junior had decided it best to take off immediately for the cloud world, hoping his father wouldn't mind that the servant wouldn't be around for the day. There were other servants so Junior hoped it wasn't a problem, but he needed that back-up plan written out and knew it would take a good few hours to reach the cloud world for the attack on Mario.

In all honesty, despite having been beaten by Mario many times in the past, Junior was still quite arrogant and believed that he could defeat the plumber and his brother. However, the reasonable part of him understood that a back-up plan was necessary. Regardless, Junior was still insulted to know that his father had even considered the possibility that he would fail.

* * *

_***Bowser's Room***_

Peach started slightly as a low growl escaped Bowser's lips. Was he having another one of his nightmares? Worried, she quickly made her way back to bed and crawled in beside him, gently stroking his cheek with her thumb.

It wasn't often, but occasionally Bowser would get these horrible nightmares and wake up both angry and scared. Many a time Peach had inquired what they were about, but he always refused to say. She guessed it had something to do with Mario. In all honesty, she felt his pain each time she had to watch the two of them battle it out. It made sense for the koopa to dread such a painful defeat.

Bowser whimpered softly in his sleep, something Peach was unaccustomed to hearing. She sighed and snuggled close to him.

"It's alright," she whispered, "you're safe, Bowser. I'm right here."

Bowser's eyes snapped open right then and Peach jumped slightly. At first those bright red eyes of the Koopa King were filled with fear, despair even, but, upon registering the fact that Peach was in his arms, they filled with joy and relief.

"Peach," Bowser whispered, taking the hand that had been on his cheek and kissing it, "oh Peach…"

Peach smiled. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.

Bowser nodded, planting kisses up Peach's arm. "Yes," he replied, "yes…as long as you're here, I couldn't be better."

"Did you have another one of your nightmares?"

Bowser paused and sighed, slipping his arms around Peach and holding her close. "Yes," he said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Peach asked, genuinely concerned.

"No!" Bowser growled in response. Peach, frightened, began to shake in his arms, afraid he might hurt her, but no such thing happened. Instead, the koopa sighed and gently ran a hand through the princess's hair.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to scare you…"

The couple lay there silently for a moment before Bowser finally spoke again.

"Don't worry about me, Peach," he whispered, "…please…"

"H-how can I not worry about you?" Peach asked, looking up at him, "It breaks my heart to see you so scared."

Bowser frowned. "Peach," he whispered, sighing, "…do you really want to know about my nightmare?"

Peach nodded. "Yes," she said.

Bowser tightened his grip a bit on Peach and quietly began to explain his nightmare.

"It's always the same, every time I get a nightmare. Mario's fighting me and I'm doing all I can, but I know I can't win. And every time I look up at the tower, I see you. You look so scared and…and then before I can do anything, Mario's beaten me and I'm falling. All I can see is your face, Peach…and I call out to you, but you can't hear me…and I just keep falling…and the last thing I see before I wake up is Mario stealing you away from me, and I have this terrible feeling that I'll never see you again."

Bowser held Peach close and heard her whisper, "But you will. You always will. Even if I have to find a way here on my own, I'll always come back to you. You shouldn't worry, Bowser. I love you."

Bowser smiled. "Yeah," he said softly, "…I love you too. Now, come on, get dressed. I'm hungry."

Peach smiled and kissed his cheek before slipping out of bed and heading for the closet, glad that Bowser had finally opened up to her.

Bowser sat up and sighed softly, waiting for Peach to get dressed. It comforted him to know that Peach felt that way, even more so to know that even if Mario succeeded in taking her again, it would be the very last time he'd have to part with her. The plumber and his brother would die, one way or another.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**__ Thanks to all my readers! It makes me very happy to know that people enjoy my work. Now, without further adieu, I present Chapter 5._

* * *

Bowser and Peach sat quietly beside each other at the table, each enjoying their breakfast. Neither really had much to say. They both knew how close Mario was to reaching the castle and the probability that Junior would stop him. Mario would succeed, as always, and it pained the couple to think about it.

Just then, unannounced and completely unconcerned with startling Bowser and Peach, Kamek burst in. Bowser, rather startled, let out a growl of surprise and shot a glare in Kamek's general direction. His expression softened only slightly when he realized who the sudden intruder was.

"What is it?" Bowser asked.

"Mario and Luigi are at Ludwig's fortress," Kamek replied, "it's only a matter of time until they arrive to take the princess."

Bowser visibly tensed at this and looked to Peach. He'd hoped that they would have more time together.

Peach reached over and placed her hand atop Bowser's and nodded. "You should go prepare for battle," she said softly.

"But-"

"No buts, Bowser," Peach said, her voice soft and unusually calm for the situation they were in, "you need to be prepared. I don't want you getting hurt too bad. Besides, I have to get ready as well. I have to put on that stupid dress." She gave him a small smile and gently squeezed his hand.

Bowser smiled back and brought Peach's hand to his lips and kissed it. "Okay," he said softly, reluctantly.

"I know you'll come for me," Peach said, "don't you worry. I'd never leave you on purpose."

Bowser felt his face heat up and hoped he wasn't blushing. He hadn't wanted Kamek to hear anything about that nightmare.

"Enjoy the rest of your meal, Princess," Bowser said softly, standing, "…a servant will alert you when it's time for you to head up to the tower. Wish me luck."

Peach smiled. "Of course," she said, "…good luck, Bowser."

And with that, Bowser left with Kamek, leaving Peach all alone in the dining room.

* * *

_***Ludwig's Fortress***_

"Dammit! Bowser's gonna kill me!" Ludwig exclaimed, humiliated at being so easily defeated. How had those stupid plumbers made it past his defenses in the first place?

"I hope he does," Mario replied, "one less obstacle between me and the princess."

Ludwig frowned and glared at Mario, cradling his wounded arm. "If only you knew!" he spat, "Now get out of my sight!"

"Gladly!" Luigi said with a smirk, placing a hand on his brother's back and urging him onward.

"Knew what?" Mario muttered, wishing Luigi had given him time to ask.

* * *

_***Bowser Jr.'s Airship***_

"Koopa," Junior growled, "anything?"

The koopa servant jumped slightly and brought the binoculars down from his face, frowning a bit as he nodded. "They just left Ludwig's fortress," he replied, his voice rather shaky. In all honesty, he feared Junior more than he did Bowser. At least Bowser had someone to keep him in check. Junior was unpredictable and wouldn't hesitate to punish a lowly servant if he was unsatisfied.

"Good," Junior said, taking the binoculars from the koopa's hands and taking a look for himself, a confident smirk on his face. After taking a quick look, Junior lowered the binoculars and turned to the koopa.

"Get us in position," Junior ordered. The koopa didn't hesitate and hurried away to the control room. He'd be grateful to return to the castle after this. Junior truly scared him.

Junior smirked, watching the koopa leave. If only he could get Mario and Luigi to cower before him like that servant did. Yes, he'd like that.

* * *

Mario and Luigi hurried on towards Bowser's Castle. Luigi kept the lead and occasionally looked back at Mario. Mario hadn't been able to focus since they left Ludwig's fortress.

"Mario," Luigi finally said, "snap out of it. He probably only said that to throw you off. If you're constantly worrying about what you don't know, we won't be able to get Peach back."

Mario sighed. "You're right," he said softly, "I just…I can't shake the feeling that he knew something."

Luigi shrugged, though he knew exactly how Mario felt right then. He definitely felt the same way. There was something fishy going on and he intended to find out what.

* * *

_***Bowser's Castle***_

"Are you sure this'll work?" Bowser asked.

"When have my spells ever failed to protect you?" Kamek asked.

Bowser sighed and nodded. "Alright."

Kamek paused, then sighed. "Even if he beats you again, it'll be the last time you have to part with the princess. Remember that."

"Yeah," Bowser said softly, "yes, you're right. But why doesn't that help?"

Kamek frowned. "Bowser," he said, "it's you she loves, not Mario. She said so this morning that she'd never leave you on purpose. Just relax and focus on the matter at hand. It doesn't matter who wins this time. Either way Mario won't survive the desert world next time around. There's no way he can defeat all of the koopalings at once, especially not when I'm there to help."

Bowser sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's finish the preparations," he growled, heading off down the hall, not even bothering to make sure that Kamek was following.

Kamek smiled a bit, glad that Bowser was back to normal.

* * *

_***Bowser Jr.'s Airship***_

Junior smirked devilishly as the koopa servant brought the ship down. It was only a matter of time before Mario and Luigi arrived.

Right on cue, the brothers appeared in the distance and seemed to stop dead in their tracks at the sight of the ship. Junior laughed at the sight, glad he was at an angle where he could watch them approach and not stuck in the control room with the koopa servant.

* * *

As if suddenly energized, Mario and Luigi began to sprint towards the ship. They knew it was Junior's ship, it had to be as he was the only one left aside from Bowser. To know they were that close to rescuing Peach…well, it was invigorating.

"Don't you worry, Peach," Mario whispered as they ran, "we're coming!"


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N:**__ Sorry it's been so long since an update. Fair warning, this chapter is mainly action and that's definitely not my strong suit, so bear with me. I'm more of a drama/romance writer, so I take this as a challenge. That being said, here's Chapter 6, let's hope it's better than I expect it to be._

* * *

_***Bowser Jr.'s Airship***_

Junior smirked rather evilly at the sight of the brothers, feeling rather smug. Surely this would go swimmingly, yes? That's what he hoped, and he couldn't show that he feared defeat anyhow.

As Mario and Luigi boarded the ship, the koopa servant rushed to Junior's side and held out an object that resembled a remote of some sort. Junior took it and turned to the servant.

"Wait in the control room," Junior instructed, "…we return to the castle when this is finished. Got it?"

The servant nodded and turned to leave before pausing and saying softly, "Good luck."

Junior paused. He was tempted to snap at the servant for such a comment, but, at this point in time he understood why the servant had spoken. He was certain the servant knew how he really felt about this fight. He was certain the servant knew the anxiety and fear he felt at facing this battle.

The servant hurried off just as Mario and Luigi arrived on deck. Junior glared at them and clutched the remote tightly. He'd spent quite a while working in preparation for this battle. He just had to hope it wouldn't be in vain.

"Hey, look, Luigi," Mario said, smirking, "it's Baby Bowser!"

"Got any new toys?" Luigi asked, laughing along with Mario.

Smoke blew out of Junior's nostrils in anger. He hated this constant taunting. He was not a baby. The toy part might be true, but he was not a baby, and these stupid plumber brothers would _not_ be taking Mama Peach back. Of course, Junior knew Peach wasn't his mother, but she was the closest thing he had and he always hated when these bastards stole her away.

"You bet I do," Junior growled, pressing a button on his remote control.

The floor opened up a few feet away from Mario and Luigi and _something_ emerged from the floor. It looked a lot like a robot version of Bowser.

"Meet Bowser Bot!" Junior exclaimed, laughing as he pushed a series of buttons on the remote. Bowser Bot moved into attack position, practically begging Mario and Luigi to take a shot.

"Your move," Junior taunted, smirking.

Without another word, the battle began as Mario and Luigi charged the bot. By Junior's direction, the bot tossed Luigi to the side, but could not avoid Mario's attack. The bot took hold of Mario and threw him into a group of barrels just as Luigi returned for a second attack. With each consecutive attack from the brothers, Bowser Bot and Junior were forced to retreat closer to the control room.

Mario and Luigi stood before the robot and held their ground, neither attacking.

"I'll give you a choice," Mario said, "you can surrender now and keep your toy…or you can keep fighting and suffer a pathetic defeat. Your choice."

Junior frowned, quickly programming a final attack for Bowser Bot before retreating into the control room, ashamed that he'd been so easily beaten. He'd never been one for combat, but he'd wanted so badly to follow in his Papa's footsteps.

Within moments, the brothers had destroyed the bot and it lay in ruins on the deck. With nothing left now but to admit defeat, Junior slipped out of the control room, hanging his head and he said with a snarl, "Okay, you win. But my Papa won't be so easy. You're not taking Peach away from us again. He won't allow it."

Luigi laughed. "Doubtful," he replied, hurriedly leading Mario off of the ship and continuing along towards the castle with renewed vigor.

Mario, however, felt a strange sense of dread as Ludwig's words echoed in his mind.

_If only you knew!_

Knew what? What didn't he know? Mario continued along with Luigi, afraid. He didn't want to think about what he didn't know. He knew that it could only be something terrible.

* * *

_***Bowser's Castle***_

Peach sat silently in the tower, fighting back her tears. It wouldn't be long now until Mario arrived. She didn't want to leave. However dark and evil this castle was, she loved it, and she loved its master.

Images of Bowser flooded her mind right then and a tear finally escaped to trickle down her cheek. She closed her eyes and hung her head, letting the tears come.

"Bowser," Peach whispered, longing for him.

"Shhh, don't cry," Bowser whispered, kneeling before her and reaching up to cup her cheek in his hand.

Peach opened her eyes in surprise.

"How did you…?" she asked.

Bowser shook his head and pulled her into his embrace. "Doesn't matter how I got here. It just matters that I'm here," he said softly, "…please, don't cry, my Princess. Even if Mario wins, I will be fine. I will come for you within a day's time. We won't be apart long, I promise."

Peach sighed and slipped her arms around Bowser, burying her face in his chest. "Okay," she whispered, "…I'll be waiting. I'll always wait for you."

Bowser smiled a bit at that. "I love you, Peach," he whispered, "…you cheer for me, alright?"

Peach nodded. "Of course," she replied, "there's no one else I'd rather cheer for than you. I love you too, Bowser."

Bowser smiled and stood, releasing Peach. "I must go," he said, a tinge of sadness in his voice. In a puff of black smoke, he was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:**__ I don't exactly know why, but I had this feeling I should give you all a warning…_

* * *

Mario and Luigi had had no trouble evading Bowser's defenses as the infiltrated the castle. By the time they reached the rooftop, they couldn't have been more ready to fight the Koopa King. From their perch, they could see the tower where Peach was being kept. The princess was leaning against the windowsill. There were tears in her eyes, but Mario and Luigi had no way of seeing them from where they were. They also had no way of knowing that those tears were for Bowser.

In an instant, Bowser materialized before the brothers, clearly fuming with anger and hatred. He wasn't going to let the brothers get past.

"I won't let you take her away," he growled.

"We won't let you win," Mario replied, "she's my princess and I intend to save her."

Those words stabbed at Bowser's heart. Peach was not this bastard's princess. Peach was Bowser's!

Bowser couldn't control himself and let out a roar, spewing flames at Mario and Luigi. They quickly jumped out of the way, much to Bowser's anger.

After that, the battle raged on, but it was done sooner than anyone had anticipated. Bowser had had no chance and lay at the feet of Mario, defeated and ashamed. Mario glared down at the koopa with hatred in his eyes.

"I should kill you now while I have the chance," Mario spat.

Bowser's eyes widened. He'd never seen Mario like this. This was a whole new side of him, one of pure evil and hunger for justice.

"If you're dead, the princess will never have to worry," Mario said, "never be whisked away from me again."

If only Mario had looked up to the tower right then. Had he done so, he would have seen that Peach was no longer watching from the window.

* * *

Peach raced through the halls of the castle, tears in her eyes. Mario had won, she'd seen that much. And she'd seen the fire in his eyes as he'd struck down her beloved Bowser. The man had lost it, and she knew she had only one choice: to protect Bowser from Mario's wrath.

She climbed the stairs in record time, hoping and praying she could arrive on the rooftop before Mario did anything drastic.

Emerging from the stairwell, Peach instantly caught sight of Mario standing over Bowser, his eyes burning with anger and hatred. And, was that…a sword in his hand?!

"Mario, stop!" Peach screamed, racing over, no longer afraid of revealing the secret of her love for Bowser. If she didn't tell Mario, he'd kill Bowser, but, if she told him, maybe just this once he'd have mercy.

Mario turned his eyes to Peach as she raced over. "Peach? What are you doing?"

"Keeping you from doing something you'll regret," Peach answered, kneeling down beside Bowser and placing a hand on his cheek. "Are you alright?" she whispered.

"What are you doing?" Bowser asked, feigning strength, though it was clear he couldn't so much as sit up if he wanted to.

"Saving your skin," Peach answered, turning to Mario, "…leave, Mario."

"What?" Mario asked, beyond confused by the scene before him.

"I said leave!" Peach growled, "You've done enough damage already and I refuse to stand by and watch the man I love get hurt!"

"You think that killing him would hurt me?" Mario asked.

"Well, yes, but I wasn't actually talking about you," Peach said.

"Peach, what are you doing? If he wasn't going to kill me before, he surely will now," Bowser whispered.

Peach frowned. "I know what I'm doing," she hissed.

"Wait…" Mario said, his eyes going wide, "…is this…is this what Ludwig was talking about? Are you two…" He couldn't finish sentence as the shock set in.

"God, you're thick," Peach spat, "did you never stop to think that there might be a damn good reason I keep getting kidnapped?"

"W-why didn't you tell me?" Mario asked, still unsure how to react.

"Because I was pretty sure you'd try to kill Bowser," Peach answered, "and I can't have that. But now I see that I should have told you long ago. I never wanted anyone to get hurt…"

Mario stood there for a moment, anger brewing deep within him. Finally, he snapped and grabbed Peach roughly by the hand, wrenching her away from Bowser. The princess let out a shriek and glared at Mario.

"Let me go!" she shouted.

"Luigi," Mario said, holding tightly to Peach's hand, "we're going."

Luigi, clearly very afraid of his brother in this state, simply nodded and turned to go. Mario followed, dragging the screaming princess along behind. Bowser could do nothing but lay there and watch before losing consciousness.


End file.
